He drew back, seeming a bit surprised, then looked around at the half dozen men who were just yards away, talking quietly as they ate their meals.
“There will be no way to keep it a secret,” he warned her, his voice so quiet she could barely hear him. “No matter how much we try to be discreet, they’ll still know. Your reputation...”
“I don’t care,” she told him emphatically. “They are already shocked by me, by my breeches, and by the very fact that I wanted to do this.” She gave him an imploring look. “All I care about is whatyouthink, Max.”
He smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear, then brushed his lips to her forehead. “Then yes. I’d love to share your tent. I’ll move my things.”
After he’d finished eating, Max went and gathered his belongings from his tent, though he left it pitched to avoid questions he wasn’t quite ready to answer. He’d been honest with Eden about the fact that they would have a hard time keeping any secrets from their crew, but they already thought the worst of her. She was so far outside their comprehension of what a woman should be that they had no idea what to make of her.
At least, if they shared a tent, he wouldn’t be lying alone in his, worrying endlessly that something would happen to her. If he had his way, he’d keep her close enough to touch at all times.
He’d absolutely adored the way she’d fallen asleep in his arms this afternoon so easily. He’d felt utterly at peace holding her, and he knew she was right. They’d both sleep much better if they were together.
Almost everyone had already retired to their tents by the time he came out with his things, but he put his head down and hurried across the distance to Eden’s anyway. He slipped inside, only to find Eden stripped down to her thin linen chemise and drawers, washing herself in the small basin of water he’d provided her earlier.
She jumped and whirled around, but her face eased when she realized it was only him. “Max, you came,” she said, and the welcome in her voice warmed something deep inside him.
“I told you I would,” he said, lowering his things to a bare spot on the floor. Then he realized that hadn’t come out right. “I’m glad you asked,” he added, giving her a quick smile.
She gestured to her cot. “Can we consolidate our bedding into one bigger pallet?”
“Of course,” he assured her, and spent the next five minutes doing just that. When he was done, he stepped away. “What do you think?”
“I think I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.” She lifted the blankets and got in, still dressed only in her shift, then started running a brush through her gorgeous, long hair. He went over to the basin and stripped off his shirt, washing as best he could. The last thing he wanted was to get in bed with her smelling of sweat and camel.
She laughed hoarsely. “I feel like I’ll never be clean again.”
“Don’t worry, the sand will wash off once you’re back in civilization,” he assured her, taking off his boots and then slidinginto the makeshift bed beside her in just his trousers. Taking the brush from her hand, he started brushing her hair himself. To his great pleasure, she gave a happy sigh and leaned back against him.
“That feels wonderful,” she assured him.
“I’m glad.” He’d always loved her fiery red hair, and even though it had been subjected to the desert for days now, it still felt silky against his fingertips.
“Why haven’t we been doing this all along?” she asked, making sensual sounds of pleasure that turned him inside out, leaving him hard and wanting.
“I didn’t want to presume,” he told her. “I don’t ever want to do anything that will hurt you.”
“The only thing that ever hurt me was when you walked away.” Her voice was small and uncertain, and the anger he’d once felt because she hadn’t fought for him faded a little more. She really had missed him as much as he’d missed her.
Bloody hell, it was all so tragic. If he could go back in time, he’d do everything so differently.
She reached up and took the brush from his hand and put it aside, then blew out the lantern. “Lie down with me,” she whispered. “I want you so much, Max.”
He hadn’t expected this, had meant to simply hold her through the cold night so they could both get some sleep. But he couldn’t resist her, and he ached with need.
He stretched out beside her and turned to face her. She was barely visible in the dark, but he ran his fingertips gently over her face before finally pressing his mouth to hers. She opened for him immediately, their tongues swirling together in perfect tandem, their bodies twining together, her bare legs wrapping around his.
With a groan, he pulled apart just enough to slide out of his trousers and pull her chemise over her head and drawers downher thighs. Then they found each other once more under the blankets, her silky skin pressed against his until he thought he’d burst before he even managed to get inside her.
The last time they’d made love had been a gentle exploration, but this time was not gentle. It was desperate and hungry, the need too powerful to resist. He kissed her hungrily as his hands trailed from her breasts to her waist. Then he slid his fingertips between her thighs, finding her so hot and wet for him. He pressed one finger inside her and then two, readying her for him as she made soft, keening cries into his mouth.
At last, he took himself in hand and slid into her, shuddering at the perfect fit. “You feel so good,” he whispered. “Bloody hell, my love. I don’t know how long I can last.”
Remembering to take care of her as well, he found that spot at the apex of her thighs that had given her so much pleasure back in Cairo and rubbed it as he thrust deep inside her. Within moments, she was shattering around him, and he kissed her deeply to keep her from crying out as he found his release as well.
Afterward, he rolled to his side and pulled her into his arms, his chin on her shoulder and his arm wrapped around her waist.
“Thank you,” he murmured, exhaustion and completion competing to pull him under. “Thank you for not being afraid to ask for what you want.”
